Earlier this month I joined millions of people around the country who went back to school, as I returned for my third semester of graduate school at New York University. Choosing to pursue a master’s degree was a huge decision, and one that I spent years contemplating. After 10 years of working full-time at various marketing jobs, I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to study. I just knew I wanted to be part of something that has a positive impact on society, that somehow leveraged my marketing background, and ideally, that involved my passion for food!

I found all of those things in the multidisciplinary Food Studies master’s program at NYU Steinhardt. One of the benefits of the program is that I can tailor my studies to fit my exact tastes: food education, food marketing, advocacy, or perhaps an issue I haven't been exposed to yet. And to say CarrotNewYork has been supportive of my continuing education is an understatement! I know plenty of people whose eyes glaze over when I force the complex issues of food and nutrition on them (while extremely supportive, I get many eye rolls from my parents!), but my CNY colleagues have become one of the most captive audiences to share my learnings with.

I consider myself extremely lucky to be surrounded every day by a team of passionate, brilliant, and inspired fellow lifelong learners. The term lifelong learning is one that’s used quite a bit around the office, but not one that’s taken lightly. With each new project comes new discoveries, new research, and new ways to put our experience to the test. While is grounded in our experience, we are always taking the opportunity to learn from each other and to take on something brand new--new programs to develop, new technologies to leverage, and new partnerships to forge.

Bringing the conversation back to food (as I usually tend to do), one of the most important things I’m learning as I study food's impact on our environment, our culture, and our personal health, is that I’m able to apply these lessons in the real world. In even a small way, I’m able to have an impact on my network of friends, family, and colleagues. At work through my clients, I’m able to impact thousands by helping educate communities, children, and families about healthy habits surrounding food.

Ever Heard of Nudges? You Might Not Know You’re Being Nudged Everyday!

Choice architecture is the practice of influencing choice by changing the way in which options are presented to people. The concept is based on the principle that people do not make decisions in a vacuum. People use environmental cues (conscious and subconscious) which can influence their decision. This can take place in any setting such as offices, supermarkets, schools, or homes.